The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-02-05

Democratic members Of The Senate and
House Of Delegates:
GESrLEMEN:-Your communication in
reference to the subject Of the election OF
su U. S. Senator has been received and
carefully considered. You propose to
unite with ua In the election Of q Senator,
provided wa choose one from the follow.
ing list Of names:
Jamea D. Armstrong, OF Hampshire.
John W. Harris, OF Greenbrier.
L. Is. knight, Of kanawha.
II. A. Holt, Of Greenbrier.
Okey johnson, OF Wood.
A. T. Raymond, oil Marion.
OF. Faulkner, OF Berkeley.
John Brannon, OF Lewis.
W. a. Quarter, OF kanawha.
Q. ". Daley, Of Mineral.
L. s. Newman, Of Marshall.
F. Hereford, Of Monroe.
]. A. Preston, Of Greenbrier.
J.F. Brown, OF Kanawha.
Wa beg to state in reply that in ac-
cordsncs with q long established custom
Of our party a caucus Of the Democratic
members OF tho Legislature WINS called to
assemble on the evening Of January 10,
1857, for the purpose OF selecting o candi-
date to BIZ voted for by tho Democrats
for United States Senator. Ample public
notice was given Of the time and place Of
meeting, and every Democratic member
vas personally solicited to represent and
participate. The caucus was held at tho
time and place named in the call and
thirty.seven members were present aud
voting. The proceedings were open and
fcir. The vote for & candidate for sena-
tor was taken by roll call Of all the
Democratic msmbera OF the Legislature.
The result vas on motion and without a
dissenting voice declared to be the unani-
nous act Of the caucua. Abundant OPP
%portunity was given for the presentation
Of the names you now suggest as we'll as
the name Of any other citizen that any
Democratic member OF the Legislature
might deere to present. The said caucus
having been called aud held in accord.
ance with uniform custom and usage,
three-fourths (less one-half Of one vots) Of
those entitled to participate having been
present and all having been invited to at
tend and take part, We regard its decision
as the decision OF the Democratic men,
beers OF tho Legislature on this question.
Furthermore, your proposition limitathe
right Of selection to Il OF the anne be-
fore given. This we regard SIS uEdemo-
cratic and an innovation on all usages,
customs and presidents OF our party. II
is the right and privilege OF any citizen
who is legally qualified to hold en- oiice to
have his name presented to and consider
ed by tho electors in whom is lodged the
authority to decide; and any decision or
proposition a~bridgiug this right is undem-
ocratic and ~tyrannical. We think there
is no fair way by which the wishes OF the
party can be considered and determined
except by 2 free caucus, open to all Demo-
cratic menbeya "a participants and to all
legally qualified Democratic citizens az
candidates. We sincerely regret that it
vas not your Judgment md pleasure to
unite with us in the customary manner
in selecting q candidate for Ssnator, and
with equal sincerity we express the hope
that you may yet do 80. We feel that our
action has been right and in conformity
with the established usage Of a party
whose fundamental principle is that the
will OF the majority fairly agcsrtained
and expressed, shall control, and that we
cannot more highly honor our party than
by faithfpllyl adhering to that principle.
We must therefore respectfully decline
your proposition
Signed NJ. GwINN, President,
PEYToN BYRNE, Secretary.
Somerville, @. L. Brown, Gettinger, Nc
Callister, Van Pelt, McOreery, Sweeney,
Unger, Oxley, James Brown, Chancellor,
Jacob Cochran, ?. B. Cochran, Crockett,
Grow, DAVIDSON, Ferguson, Garden Glea-
son, Gorrell, Hager, Hamilton, Harding,
Hiner Kellar, Kidd, Peck, Raeland, Shaw,
Spencer, Woods, Yesger, Rowan, Rey.
nolds, Rife and Rossberry.
1t is understood that tho answer was
drawn up byJ J. Woods, OF Wheeling,
and adopted by the caucus.